Governor | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Cooper | Jan 1, 2017 | - | Democratic |
| Pat McCrory | Jan 5, 2013 | Jan 1, 2017 | Republican |
| Bev Perdue | Jan 10, 2009 | Jan 5, 2013 | Democratic |
| Mike Easley | Jan 6, 2001 | Jan 10, 2009 | Democratic |
| Jim Hunt | Jan 9, 1993 | Jan 6, 2001 | Democratic |
| James G. Martin | Jan 5, 1985 | Jan 9, 1993 | Republican |
| Jim Hunt | Jan 8, 1977 | Jan 5, 1985 | Democratic |
| James Holshouser | Jan 5, 1973 | Jan 8, 1977 | Republican |
| Robert W. Scott | Jan 3, 1969 | Jan 5, 1973 | Democratic |
| Dan K. Moore | Jan 8, 1965 | Jan 3, 1969 | Democratic |
| Terry Sanford | Jan 5, 1961 | Jan 8, 1965 | Democratic |
| Luther H. Hodges | Nov 7, 1954 | Jan 5, 1961 | Democratic |
| William B. Umstead | Jan 8, 1953 | Nov 7, 1954 | Democratic |
| W. Kerr Scott | Jan 6, 1949 | Jan 8, 1953 | Democratic |
| R. Gregg Cherry | Jan 4, 1945 | Jan 6, 1949 | Democratic |
| J. Melville Broughton | Jan 9, 1941 | Jan 4, 1945 | Democratic |
| Clyde R. Hoey | Jan 7, 1937 | Jan 9, 1941 | Democratic |
| John C.B. Ehringhaus | Jan 5, 1933 | Jan 7, 1937 | Democratic |
| O. Max Gardner | Jan 11, 1929 | Jan 5, 1933 | Democratic |
| Angus Wilton McLean | Jan 14, 1925 | Jan 11, 1929 | Democratic |
| Cameron A. Morrison | Jan 12, 1921 | Jan 14, 1925 | Democratic |
| Thomas Walter Bickett | Jan 11, 1917 | Jan 12, 1921 | Democratic |
| Locke Craig | Jan 15, 1913 | Jan 11, 1917 | Democratic |
| William Walton Kitchin | Jan 12, 1909 | Jan 15, 1913 | Democratic |
| Robert Broadnax Glenn | Jan 11, 1905 | Jan 12, 1909 | Democratic |
| Charles Brantley Aycock | Jan 15, 1901 | Jan 11, 1905 | Democratic |
| Daniel Lindsay Russell | Jan 12, 1897 | Jan 15, 1901 | Republican |
| Elias Carr | Jan 18, 1893 | Jan 12, 1897 | Democratic |
| Thomas Michael Holt | Apr 7, 1891 | Jan 18, 1893 | Democratic |
| Daniel Gould Fowle | Jan 17, 1889 | Apr 7, 1891 | Democratic |
| Alfred Moore Scales | Jan 21, 1885 | Jan 17, 1889 | Democratic |
| Thomas Jordan Jarvis | Feb 5, 1879 | Jan 21, 1885 | Democratic |
| Zebulon Baird Vance | Jan 1, 1877 | Feb 5, 1879 | Democratic |
| Curtis Hooks Brogden | Jul 11, 1874 | Jan 1, 1877 | Republican |
| Tod Robinson Caldwell | Mar 22, 1871 | Jul 11, 1874 | Republican |
| William Woods Holden | Jul 1, 1868 | Mar 22, 1871 | Republican |
| Jonathan Worth | Dec 15, 1865 | Jul 1, 1868 | Conservative |
| William Woods Holden | May 29, 1865 | Dec 15, 1865 | National Union |
| Zebulon Baird Vance | Sep 8, 1862 | May 29, 1865 | Conservative |
| Henry Toole Clark | Jul 7, 1861 | Sep 8, 1862 | Democratic |
| John Willis Ellis | Jan 1, 1859 | Jul 7, 1861 | Democratic |
| Thomas Bragg | Jan 1, 1855 | Jan 1, 1859 | Democratic |
| Warren Winslow | Dec 6, 1854 | Jan 1, 1855 | Democratic |
| David Settle Reid | Jan 1, 1851 | Dec 6, 1854 | Democratic |
| Charles Manly | Jan 1, 1849 | Jan 1, 1851 | Whig |
| William Alexander Graham | Jan 1, 1845 | Jan 1, 1849 | Whig |
| John Motley Morehead | Jan 1, 1841 | Jan 1, 1845 | Whig |
| Edward Bishop Dudley | Dec 31, 1836 | Jan 1, 1841 | Whig |
| Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. | Dec 10, 1835 | Dec 31, 1836 | Democratic |
| David Lowry Swain | Dec 6, 1832 | Dec 10, 1835 | National Republican |
| Montfort Stokes | Dec 18, 1830 | Dec 6, 1832 | Democratic |
| John Owen | Dec 12, 1828 | Dec 18, 1830 | Democratic |
| James Iredell Jr. | Dec 8, 1827 | Dec 12, 1828 | Democratic-Republican |
| Hutchins Gordon Burton | Dec 7, 1824 | Dec 8, 1827 | Unaffiliated |
| Gabriel Holmes | Dec 7, 1821 | Dec 7, 1824 | Democratic-Republican |
| Jesse Franklin | Dec 7, 1820 | Dec 7, 1821 | Democratic-Republican |
| John Branch | Dec 6, 1817 | Dec 7, 1820 | Democratic-Republican |
| William Miller | Nov 29, 1814 | Dec 6, 1817 | Democratic-Republican |
| William Hawkins | Dec 11, 1811 | Nov 29, 1814 | Democratic-Republican |
| Benjamin Smith | Dec 1, 1810 | Dec 11, 1811 | Democratic-Republican |
| David Stone | Dec 12, 1808 | Dec 1, 1810 | Democratic-Republican |
| Benjamin Williams | Dec 1, 1807 | Dec 12, 1808 | Federalist |
| Nathaniel Alexander | Dec 10, 1805 | Dec 1, 1807 | Democratic-Republican |
| James Turner | Dec 6, 1802 | Dec 10, 1805 | Democratic-Republican |
| Benjamin Williams | Nov 23, 1799 | Dec 6, 1802 | Federalist |
| William Richardson Davie | Dec 7, 1798 | Nov 23, 1799 | Federalist |
| Samuel Ashe | Nov 19, 1795 | Dec 7, 1798 | Anti-Federalist |
| Richard Dobbs Spaight | Dec 14, 1792 | Nov 19, 1795 | Federalist |
| Alexander Martin | Dec 17, 1789 | Dec 14, 1792 | Anti-Federalist |
| Samuel Johnston | Dec 20, 1787 | Dec 17, 1789 | Federalist |
| Richard Caswell | May 13, 1785 | Dec 20, 1787 | Unaffiliated |
| Alexander Martin | Apr 22, 1782 | May 13, 1785 | Anti-Federalist |
| Thomas Burke | Jun 26, 1781 | Apr 22, 1782 | Unaffiliated |
| Abner Nash | Apr 20, 1780 | Jun 26, 1781 | Unaffiliated |
| Richard Caswell | Nov 12, 1776 | Apr 20, 1780 | Unaffiliated |
North Carolina governors have been heavily Democratic-leaning, historically and statistically speaking. That history of Democratic-affiliated governors also continues with the current and 75th governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper III. Governor Cooper has been in office since 2017 and carries forth a long lineage of Democratic governors. Like his most recent Democratic predecessors, Jim Hunt, governor from January 9, 1993, to January 6, 2001, and governor Mike Easley, January 6, 2001, to January 10, 2009, governor Roy Cooper can make a difference. With approximately 10 million residents, that also means making a difference in many lives.
From 1901 until 1971 there wasn't a single member of any other party elected. Meaning for a span of 70 years and 18 North Carolina governors, Democrats had a stronghold on the highest seat in the state. While the state of North Carolina isn't quite as blue-blooded today, it is still a Democrat-friendly state for governors. Since then it has been a fairly even split with three Republican governors and four Democratic governors. The most recent Republican governor was Pat McCrory who served from 2013 to 2016.
North Carolina governors also shoulder the weight of history, as North Carolina is the twelfth state to join the Union in 1789. The state's first governor, from 1776 to 1780 was Richard Caswell. Caswell later won another term in 1785.
The current governor of North Carolina is Roy Cooper, a Democrat.
There have been 69 governors of North Carolina, 36 Democrats, 7 Republicans, and 28 from other parties.
The last Democratic governor in North Carolina is Roy Cooper, who has served from 2017 to the present day.
The last Republican governor in North Carolina was Pat McCrory, who served from 2013 to 2017.